Saint Joseph Catholic Church

Cardinal Robert Sarah spoke out on topics including tradition, the liturgy, synodality, and homosexuality in a conversation with Avvenire, the newspaper owned by the Italian bishops’ conference.

“Without living Tradition that allows the transmission of Divine Revelation, the Church itself could not exist,” said the retired prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship. He criticized an “ideological” attitude toward tradition, in which “those who would like to erase and deny Tradition” opposed “those who consider Tradition as something crystallized and mummified.”

Specifically addressing the ban on the Traditional Latin liturgy, Cardinal Sarah said: “I wonder if we can ‘ban’ a ritual lasting over a thousand years.”

The African cardinal said that the concept of synodality “must be explored and clarified,” adding that it “should be theologically substantiated.”

Cardinal Sarah also called for a reconsideration of the Vatican document Fiducia Supplicans, allowing for blessings of same-sex couples. He described the document as “theologically weak and therefore unjustified.”

An Italian cardinal has indicated that Church leaders are awaiting a decision by Pope Leo XIV on the status of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM).

Questioned by the Catholic Herald about the future of the TLM and the restrictions imposed by Traditionis Custodes, Cardinal Mauro Maria Gambetti replied: “I have been told that we will wait for the Holy Father to decide.”

Cardinal Gambetti, a Franciscan friar, was raised to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis, who appointed him as archpriest of St. Peter’s basilica. There he implemented the restriction on the use of the traditional liturgy by pilgrimage groups—although that policy has recently been changed to allow an October celebration of the TLM by Cardinal Raymond Burke during the annual Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage.

The vice-president of the Brazilian bishops’ conference has denounced heavy tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump as “unacceptable,” saying that they are an effort to influence Brazil’s internal politics.

Archbishop Paulo Jackson de Sousa said that the Trump tariffs were imposed in a bid to secure the acquittal of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted on September 11 of attempting a coup. The archbishop said that his country had weathered the crisis—“more so than in the ‘biggest democracy in the world,’ as the USA likes to call itself.”

Archbishop Jackson said: “It is unacceptable for one country to try and exert pressure on another, especially using methods such as tariffs.”

Brian Burch, the new US ambassador to the Holy See, presented his credentials to Pope Leo XIV on September 13.

During what he described as an “extraordinarily friendly” conversation, Burch spoke to the Pontiff about the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, religious freedom, the Vatican’s ties with China, and the challenges of artificial intelligence.” They also discussed the shooting of Charlie Kirk, with the Pope saying that he was praying for Kirk’s widow and their children.

Burch presented the Pope with several gifts, including a birthday cake, in anticipation of the Pontiff’s 70th birthday on September 14.

Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the former president of the Italian bishops’ conference, indicated that he favored a relaxation of the ban on the Traditional Latin Mass in a newspaper interview.

Noting the need for unity in the Church—and saying that Pope Leo has made unity his goal—the retired Archbishop of Genoa said: “I have never seen, and I do not see now, how the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite... could create problems.” He pointed out that the Catholic Church embraces more than 30 different liturgical rites today.

If restrictions on the traditional liturgy are relaxed, “I see neither risks nor dangers if things are done peacefully and with everyone’s good will,” the cardinal said.

As a gesture to celebrate the Jubilee Year, the Latin-rite Catholic Patriarchate of Jerusalem has announced that it will forgive all debts owed by families for students in Catholic schools.

In announcing the debt-forgiveness program, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said that he recognized the costs the measure would entail, and reported that “various administrative offices did not fail to raise their legitimate concerns,” but concluded that the gesture was an important means of helping families, restoring hope, and showing reliance on God.

Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. Devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady has its roots in Sacred Scripture and in Christian piety, which always associates the Blessed Mother with her suffering Son. Today's feast was introduced by the Servites in order to intensify devotion to Our Lady's Sorrows. In 1817 Pius VII--suffering grievously in exile but finally liberated by Mary's intercession--extended the feast to the universal Church.

cna

cna

Pope Leo XIV is viewed favorably by 84% of American Catholics, according to a new Pew Research survey. Only 4% of respondents had a negative view.

However a majority of those questioned (52%) said that they did not know much about the first American Pontiff, and/or that they could not predict how his leadership of the Church would compare with that of Pope Francis.